Madison Square Garden was already simmering after Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer-beater and “choke” celebration, but the real fireworks came off-camera. As Reggie Miller beamed behind the TNT mic—cheering on the Pacers’ coup—Knicks insiders weren’t just groaning at the replay. One unexpected voice from New York’s basketball trenches couldn’t hold back and publicly called out Miller’s antics in the most unfiltered terms. When even Matt Barnes’s ex has a hot take, you know the rivalry that built this franchise is very much alive
Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals inflicted the worst Knicks déjà vu. With under three minutes to go, New York was up by 14 and the Garden was buzzing—until Tyrese Haliburton flipped the script. He dropped 31 points and 11 assists, while Aaron Nesmith caught fire, hitting six threes in the fourth to spark a 21-7 run. Haliburton’s (31 pts, 11 asts) buzzer-beater then echoed Miller’s lore—suddenly, history was repeating. The Pacers pulled off a 138–135 win, and just like that, Indiana had stolen Game 1.
But the postgame conversation wasn’t just about Haliburton’s heroics—it was about who was calling them. Reggie Miller, on the TNT mic, drew major backlash for what fans saw as blatant Pacers bias. His glowing post-game banter with Haliburton drew fire on social media—fans said Miller forgot to stay neutral.
And it wasn’t just fans calling him out—Gloria Govan, ex-wife of Matt Barnes (who briefly signed with the Knicks in 2005), had thoughts of her own. During an episode of Sportsing!, the host admitted, “As much as we all cannot stand hearing Reggie Miller call the game, I do think it’s cool that he’s going to call the games because you know he’s a part of [it].” Gloria jumped in without hesitation: “I was the only one. His lisp kills me. There are times I think Derek [Fisher] mutes the TV. He’s like, ‘All right Reg, bro love you to death and all but what…’ Or he tries to be really cool and you’re like, ‘Oh lord.’”
Image Credits – IMAGN
And if fans weren’t already fired up by Miller’s commentary, what happened next only added fuel to the fire. Right after Haliburton sank the shot to send the game into overtime, he turned to the crowd and hit them with the move—the same choke sign Reggie made famous three decades ago. On cue, the broadcast caught Miller pointing at Haliburton, grinning with pride. That gesture isn’t just a taunt—it’s Knicks trauma. Back in ’94, Miller scorched the Knicks and mocked Spike Lee courtside with that exact move. Now, with Haliburton reviving it and Miller cheering him on from the booth, it felt like more than just a win. It felt like history repeating itself—only this time, with a new villain in the spotlight.
New York Knicks fall into a familiar trap in game 2 loss
Game 2 at Madison Square Garden was supposed to be the Knicks’ bounce-back moment. Instead, it felt like a rerun — and not the good kind. Once again, it was the bench — specifically Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride — who sparked life into the building with a 10-0 run. But even that momentum didn’t carry. By night’s end, the Pacers had stolen another road win, 114-109, and walked out of MSG with a 2-0 lead. “We got in a hole, and then the group that was in there gave us a chance, so we [were] just riding them,” Tom Thibodeau said postgame. The problem? That group didn’t include Karl-Anthony Towns for most of the fourth quarter — he sat the final 6½ minutes.
Towns’ absence in crunch time told a bigger story. The Knicks’ starting five — Brunson, Towns, Bridges, Anunoby, Hart — has been a net negative for months, and Indiana is exposing every crack, as reported by Yahoo Sports. In just 43 minutes across the first two games, that group’s been outscored by 29 points. Their defensive lapses were glaring in the fourth, especially as the Pacers relentlessly targeted the Towns-Robinson pairing in pick-and-roll actions. “It comes down to a couple of things,” Thibodeau said. “Going into the fourth quarter, it’s a tie ballgame, and we just gotta make better plays. More winning plays.”
Sep 30, 2024; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau speaks during a media day press conference at the MSG training facility in Tarrytown, NY. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Now the Knicks are in a place no team wants to be — down 2-0, heading to Indiana. Historically, that’s a death sentence: teams with that lead win 92% of the time. But if the Knicks have one thing, it’s fight. “Don’t worry about that — I told you about the word ‘history,’” Towns said. “I’m not here to repeat it. We’re here to make it.” Still, bold declarations won’t fix the fact that the starting unit keeps faltering early, forcing the bench to clean up the mess. “I think maybe we’re just playing a little too soft in the beginning of halves,” Mikal Bridges admitted. Unless that softness turns into urgency, fast, this magical Knicks season might be fading faster than anyone expected.
Reggie Miller’s legacy continues to haunt Knicks fans, especially as the Pacers steal crucial wins at Madison Square Garden. With Miller cheering from the booth and history repeating itself, New York faces more than just a tough series—they’re battling a rivalry that won’t easily fade
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